Three donor–acceptor copolymers P1, P2, and P3 with N,N′-dodecylpyromellitic diimide as the electron-acceptor unit with three diethynyl-substituted donor monomers: 1,4-diethynyl-2,5-bis(octyloxy)benzene, 2,7-diethynyl-9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene, and 3,3′-didodecyl-5,5′-diethynyl-2,2′-bithiophene have been synthesized by Sonogashira crosscoupling polymerization. The synthesized polymers showed deep highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels and larger band gaps (>2.5 eV). Polymers P1, P2, and P3 underwent fluorescence quenching with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), indicating the intermolecular photo-induced charge transfer between the donor polymers and the PCBM acceptor. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1617–1622

This review describes the synthesis and photovoltaic performance of donor–acceptor (D–A) semiconducting polymers that have been reported during the last decade. 9,9-Dialkyl-2,7- fluorene, 2,7-carbazole, cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene, dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]silole, dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]pyrrole, benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene, benzo[1,2 b:4,5 b′]difuran building blocks, and their D–A copolymers are described in this review. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013

The synthesis and polymerization of fused-ring 1,7-didodecyl-1,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-b:4,5-b′]dipyrrole monomer are reported. The FeCl₃-mediated oxidative polymerization and Stille coupling polymerization of the thienodipyrrole monomer were employed to generate homopolymers and an alternating copolymer with thiophene. The synthesized polymers have molecular weights ranging from 1600 to 6500 g mol⁻¹ and display the absorption maxima at ≈355 nm.

Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(3-pentenylthiophene) and poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(3-undecenylthiophene) diblock copolymers have been synthesized by McCullough method. X-ray diffraction analysis of the diblock copolymers displayed all the reflection peaks specific to regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene), indicating that the presence of poly(3-alkenylthiophene) block does not affect the packing of the polymer in the solid state. The synthesized diblock copolymers were subjected to hydroboration/oxidation and hydrosilation to demonstrate the reactivity of the alkenyl substituents. Furthermore, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(3-pentenylthiophene) was used as a chain transfer agent for the ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclooctene to generate a polycyclooctene graft copolymer, which was hydrogenated to give poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(3-pentenylthiophene-g-polyethylene). The opto-electronic properties and the morphology of the synthesized polymers have been investigated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012

Donor–acceptor semiconducting polymers containing benzodithiophene with decyl phenylethynyl substituents have been synthesized. Density functional calculations on the polymers' band gaps and frontier orbitals energies provide reasonable agreement with cyclic voltammetry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis absorption measurements. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011

Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymer was synthesized by RAFT polymerization of 4-vinyl pyridine using a trithiocarbonate-terminated poly(3-hexylthiophene) macro-RAFT agent. The optoelectronic properties and the morphology of the block copolymer blends with CdSe quantum dots were investigated. UV-vis and fluorescence experiments were performed to prove the charge transfer between CdSe and poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011

Poly{4,8-bis(4-decylphenylethynyl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene} (P1) homopolymer and poly{4,8-bis(4-decylphenylethynyl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene -alt-thiophene} (P2) alternating copolymer have been synthesized by Stille coupling polymerization. The field-effect mobilities of both polymers were measured on both untreated and silane-treated OFET devices. Various silanes were selected to allow an incremental increase in the hydrophobicity of the silicon dioxide dielectric. A direct correlation was observed between the hydrophobicity of the silicon dioxide dielectric surface and the enhancement of the field-effect mobilities. The highest mobilities for both polymers were measured on the OFET devices treated with heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydro-decyl-1-trimethoxysilane (FS) which generated the most hydrophobic surface. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011